Four Questions
by Lord Akiyama
Summary: Helga didn't want the break in the first place. But Chris has something in mind for the opportunity afforded to them. A Helga Sinclair/Chris Jenkins story originally written as part of a creative writing class assignment a long, long time ago using the image seen as the story's cover. For my pal GoblinQueeen.


**Four Questions**

an _Atlantis: The Lost Empire_ fan fiction story

by Lord Akiyama

* * *

 **Philippines, 1906**

The scenery was getting on her nerves. That much as apparent.

"So..." she sighed with annoyance. "We're just gonna watch some yuppies ride around in carriages all day?"

It was getting to the point where she was completely ignoring the fifth carriage riding by before us. I just cracked a grin and chuckled.

"You were the one who didn't care where we went," I reminded her.

"I was also the one who didn't want the break in the first place," she retorted.

"Not my fault the sarge ordered us on leave," I said with a shrug. "You know it's military policy."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it," she grumbled.

I'd like to think she was pouting. If she knew that, I'd be in for quite a lashing. Both the verbal and the physical kind.

She was a rare person, a female in the military. Something that didn't quite sit well with her mother, as I understood it. Not to mention something that didn't sit well with society in general. In a time when tensions were at such a point that there just might be a war that would break out all over the world, here's a woman who dared to assert herself in a place that was predominantly male. And it's because of that fact that she also had to be on her guard at all times. Even when there was a moment of peace to be had.

"How much longer do we have to endure this?" she asked, crossing her arms with boredom.

"Just a little while longer," I assured her.

She suddenly gave me a stern look. She did not like the way I answered her question.

"Alright, wiseguy," she said. "Just what have you gotten me into this time."

"Not much, really," I responded with a grin.

That didn't ease her one bit.

"What's going on?" she demanded.

"Nothing, kido," I replied.

She hated me calling her that.

"You're lying, junior," she said

She was getting more dissatisfied and frustrated with each answer I gave her. Exactly how I wanted.

"Okay, okay, fine," I said, throwing my hands up. "Just answer me four questions and you'll know why we're here."

"You and your childish games," she snorted. "Can never take a damned thing seriously. And how come it's four questions and now something common like three or five?"

"I could only come up with four," I answered with a chuckle. She merely rolled her eyes with annoyance. "First question. What do you see in front of you?"

She sighed with that angry humph of hers before looking forward.

"I see the fifth carriage with a couple yuppies to pass us by all day," she answered.

"Second question," I continued. "What am I doing right now?"

She gave me the kind of glare that would otherwise burn to a crisp those normally on the receiving end of such.

"You're just standing there asking me a bunch of stupid questions," she answered.

To say she was really getting frustrated would be an understatement.

"Third question," I said. This time I had a genuine smile on my face and looked at her peacefully. "What's that on your right hand?"

She raised a brow in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" she asked before lifting up her right hand to look.

In an instant, her whole expression changed.

So focused she was on me that she failed to notice my slipping the ring into her finger. The best I could get given where we were and how much time I had. For a good long while, she just stared at it with complete and utter disbelief. It clearly was the last thing she would ever expect.

"Last question," I said when she finally looked into my eyes. "Wanna marry me?"

* * *

A long, long time ago, one of my creative writing classes in college tasked us with writing a short story based entirely on an image. I can't recall if I got to chose the image or if the image was chosen for me, but I had to write something around the image I ended up with, which you can see has been made as the cover for this story.

Any way, my pal GoblinQueeen and I were starting to get into a groove with our role playing as Helga Sinclair and her husband Chris Jenkins. In case you didn't know, the dossier files the filmmakers wrote up for the characters as they appear in the special edition _Atlantis: The Lost Empire_ DVD included Helga having had a husband named after the film's artistic coordinator. It was likely done as an in-joke, but us _Atlantis_ fans like to run with it.

So as I studied the image I was assigned to write a story around, the idea of doing something with Chris and Helga came to mind. And that's where I thought about how I would envision my characterization of Chris would propose to Helga.

I've been meaning to post this story for some time, but kept forgetting about it. Until now. Because it's being posted to celebrate GoblinQueeen's own engagement! Woot!

 _Atlantis: The Lost Empire_ and its characters are copyright © Disney. This story was created out of pure enjoyment, so please don't sue.


End file.
